Fountain pen with retractable writing element



June 19, 1962 H, A. A, EXNE 3,039,436

FOUNTAIN PEN WITH RETRACTABLE WRITING ELEMENT 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed June 19, 1957 38 g? 'fq 1 5 5% Q 10-3 g Q 34 k -11 -z2 25 1g 5 2? 11 M 21 13 1s 19 17 18 F1 .1 F! .3

q g2 Fig 31 32 31 INVENTOR HELLMUT'H A. A. EXNER June 19, 1962 H. A. A. EXNER 3,039,436

FOUNTAIN PEN WITH RETRACTABLE WRITING ELEMENT Filed June 19, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FOUNTAIN PEN WITH RETRACTABLE WRITING ELEMENT Hellrnuth Alfred Artur Exner, Laprida 5141, Mar del Plata, Argentina Filed June 19, 1957, Ser. No. 666,511 Claims priority, application Brazil Sept. 19, 1956 4 Claims. (Cl. 120-4203) The present invention refers to a fountain pen with a retractable writing element and has for its main purpose to improve the safety against dripping while in closed state of such pens and to ensure the ink feed when in an operative state.

Retractable pens are already known in which the with drawal of the pen automatically causes the closure of the writing point against loss of ink. These known constructions, however, due to their complexity and unreliability have not found wide acceptance.

In the present invention the inner point of the fountain pen body is provided with a preliminary ink chamber the centrally-bored capillary discs of which provide a guiding channel for the writing tip. This chamber, in fact, is provided in front with a seal consisting of one or several layers of perforated rubber, foam rubber or similar appropriate material, behind which the writing point may withdraw into the preliminary chamber proper when in inoperative position.

The fountain pen is tubular, of a length exceeding that required for a retractable writing instrument of modern design. It therefore would suffer from the disadvantage that the ink feed is unreliable and that the writing point lacks stability. According to the present invention, however, the inner and outer diameters of the instrument taper outwardly and uniformly from the writing tip towards the ink container. At the same time, the inner inking point with counterweight is provided with a corresponding taper, said inking point and counterweight assemlbly being formed by one or several telescopically inserted tubular pieces in which the inking point is firmly inserted. One end of same is fixed in the counterweight, while the other end acts as a valve stop against the point tube inserted in the slide-conduit of the pen or the inner taper of the guide tube obtained 'by extrusion or other means. The inking point, in known fashion, projects from this tubular counterweight assembly, thus passing through the pointed writing end of the fountain pen.

The ink container, formed of flexible and transparent material, consists of a thin-walled cylinder reinforced by some longitudinal ribs 52 (FIG. which are firmly connected at the upper end of the container with the hollow and transparent control push button 37 forming a single piece, the ink-receiving space being extended to the hollow inside of the said control pushbutton 37.

In order to permit more readily a greater ink charge in the ink container, Without increasing the size of the fountain pen, said ink container can be formed as a cylinder equipped with a pump plunger, the invention providing that the pump cylinder is arranged in the extended control pushbutton of the writing mechanism, fixably or connected therewith into a single piece, within the cylindrical interior of the ink container. As abutment for the retractable grip a metal ring is inserted over the control pushbutton.

In order that the present invention may be more clearly understood and readily put into practice, same will now be described with particular reference to the attached drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a lengthwise section through a retractable fountain pen in its open, i.e., writing position.

' Patented June 19, 1962 FIGURE 2 is a lengthwise section through the same pen, in closed position.

FIGURE 3 is a view on a larger scale of the pen point with its capillary chamber, tapered pen and tapered inkpoint with counterweight.

FIGURE 4 represents section 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal section through a fountain pen of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal section through the clip portion of the fountain pen of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal section through the hinged lever of the fountain pen of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the fountain pen of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 9 is a sectional View taken on line 9-9 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view taken on line ltl-Itl of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 1.1 is a sectional view taken on line 11-11 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 12 is a sectional view taken on line 1212 of FIGURE 5.

In the first illustrated embodiment, the pen-body 10 incorporates a slidable carrier-body 111 which, by pressure exerted by spring 12 is held in closed position. Within the central portion of carrier-body 11 ink-tube 13 is firmly inserted and is surrounded by one or more helical channels 14 which connects ink-container 24 and compensator-chamber 16 for the passage of air replacing the ink consumed, or for drawing up ink when filling the penholder through inlet 15 and compensator chamber 16, said channels 14 opening into ink-container 24, but appearing as closed only because FIGURE 3 is shown in longitudinal section. Ink-tube 13 can be made of plastic material and firmly houses guide-tube 17, of a smaller diameter, sliclably arranged in the guide-portion of the preliminary ink-chamber 13 formed by a central boring through capillary discs 19. These capillary discs, being seated in the lower end of body Iii, act as ink-detaining means, forming ink-detainer chamber 18 and are so positioned that there are capillary spaces therebetween thereby producing 'the necessary capillary force for absorbing or retaining the ink which is spurted from the needle 21 after retraction and the accompanying lowering and proper positioning of the counterweight 22. The ink so absorbed or retained thereby keeps the needle 21 wetted with fresh ink while in retracted position, and same is thus always ready for use. The writing tip itself is firmly set in the point of slide-tube 17, being formed by a' small tubular piece 20 of minimum diameter. The fountain pen assembled from tubes of sundry diameters can also be made of a single tubular part, extruded, drawn or otherwise formed according to the several diameters required for the flow of ink. The ink-needle structure including ink needle 21 is preferably formed of a tubular member 25 firmly positioned at one end thereof in counterweight 22, the other end thereof forming the valvestop 27 against the point tube 29, the ink needle 21 being firmly inserted at one end in tubular member 25 and at the other end being loosely inserted in pointed tube 2% thereby forming a capillary space between ink needle 21 and the inner surface of said point tube 20. In writing, the pressure on the point of ink needle 21 together with the counterpressure of counterweight 22 causes ink needle 21 and its associated tubular member 25 and its associated counterweight 22 to move up and down, the upward movement being stopped by the head of the counterweight 22 against cylinder 23 and the downward movement of the valve-stop 27. This up and down movement together with the capillary force causes the required ink to be drawn from ink container 24. The required ink is drawn from ink container 24, around counterweight Z2 and into and through capillary chamber 255, between tubular member and inside the guide-tube 17, and between valve 27 to the capillary space between ink needle 21 and the inner surface of point tube 26. Thus, the ink flow through capillary chamber 28, between the valve-stop 2'7 and the counterweight 22, is independent from the air bubble enclosed in the ink container 24-. The ink removed from container 24 is replaced by the air entering same from compensator chamber 16 through channels 14. Positioned about and contacting tubular member 25 is tubular member 25, and said members 25 and 2.6 and ink needle are fixedly secured in said counterweight 22, as clearly shown in the appended drawings. Carrier-tube 13 lodges capillary chamber 23, formed by capillary discs 29 and anchored by closure 3%). Ink-needle 21, thus firmly inserted in its tubular member of shaft 25, is slidably guided within the central perforation of said discs 29. The front portion of preliminary ink ch,- nber 18 is provided with a seal 31, formed by one or several weak discs of soft rubber or foam-rubber or similar appropriate material, provided with a central perforation 32 through which the writing point is withdrawn when closing the penholder, said point thus retreating into preliminary ink chamber 18. The opposite end of carrier-body 11 is provided with cylinder 23 of ink-container 24, the pump-plunger 33 of which is actuated by a long, fastaction screw 3%, fixed in said plunger. The threaded bushing provided for said screw in the terminal piece of cylinder 23 is there rotatable and held against axial movement by means of stop ring 36, which is firmly seated in cylinder 23. Said threaded bushing 135 together with the hollow pushbutton 37, comprises a united and firmlyinserted piece. Cylinder 23 of ink container 24 is provided, at its upper end portion, with a comically shaped opening to receive the cone 38 of last-action screw 34 thereby preventing the loosening of said screw 34 in the threaded bushing 35 while the writing element is being pushed into or retracted from writing position. For the same purpose, namely, to prevent rotation of control pushbutton 37 in headpiece 39 of the penholder, the latter and said button 37 are furnished with guiding channels 40. In order to identify direction of turning for emptying or filling the ink-container 24, said control pushbutton 37 is provided with arrows and the indications To Empty, To Fill. In order to prevent turning pump plunger 33 within cylinder 23, the pump plunger 33 is furnished with a guide channel and the cylinder 23 with guide 41 fitting into said channel.

The operating lever for the retracting mechanism or" the fountain pen, consists of a hinged lever 42 fulcrurned at 43 in clip 44-. Fingerpiece 45 of same is pressed by compression spring 4t? against check-ring 47 inserted over pushbutton 37 (FIGURE 2). Said fingerpiece snaps in behind said ring and secures the writing mechanism against pressure exerted by spring 12, as soon as the instrument, by operation of pushbutton 37, has reached the Open position (FIG. 1). Clip 44 is firmly inserted in head piece 3% and is held in position by bending the points 43 of clip 4- 2 into hook portions to be received into the recesses of headpiece 39, as clearly shown in FIGURES 5 and 9.

Operation of the retractable fountain pen is as follows:

On exerting pressure against pushbutton 37 to oppose spring 12 and reach the Open position illustrated in FIG. 1, the entire writing mechanism, formed into one piece and consisting of ink-tube 13, guide-tube 15, point tube 2t ink-container 24 and control pushbutton 37 with its corresponding accessory parts, slides within bodies 39 and it towards the tip of the penholder, under which circumstances the tubular piece Ztl in preliminary inkchamber 18 penetrates and passes through perforation or opening d2 of seal 31. As soon as grip 45, by pressure exerted by spring 46 snaps into position behind abutment ring 47 as the latter passes by, the fountain pen is in its Open position. Writing point tube 21-9, permanently surrounded by fresh ink provided by capillary disc 19 of inkchamber 18, is then immediately ready for writing and is thereafter fed by ink supplied to replace the ink consumed and flowing consequent upon the inlet of air through opening 15 of compensating chamber 16 and suction channel or channels 14. By means of valve 27, formed by lower end of tube 25 and upper end or" point tube 2%), the column of ink projected by sudden retraction of the writing tip, is reduced to the short small-diameter section with the greater capillarity, alongside point tube 24) beneath valve 27. The reduced cross-section of tubular piece 25 above valve 27 provides sufficient room for compensating chamber 16 and capillary chamber 28, the capillary spaces between capillary discs 29 of which ensure uniform supply of ink. The eifect of this assembly is to oppose the ejection of ink from the pen on sudden retraction of the instrument to its Closed position, and likewise to prevent the escape of ink caused by atmospheric changes or changes in temperature, such changes in pressure being shunted off to the compensating chamber 16.

For ink refilling purposes the lower pen body it} is unscrewed from headpiece $9. The writing mechanism, consisting of ink-container 24, guide-tube 17' and control pushbutton 6'7 with its accessory parts, can then be removed. By turning control pushbutton 37 and consequently threaded bushing 35' in the direction marked To Empty on pushbutton 37, fast-action screw 34 is separated from clamping cone 38 of cylinder 23 and pump plunger 36, prevented from turning by guiding groove 41, is advanced longitudinally through cylinder 23 until stop 51 abuts against the threaded pontion of bushing 35, under which circumstances the air and ink contained in the cylinder are expelled through channel or channels 14 and compensating chamber 16, By introducing the writing nib up to inlet 15 into fresh ink and returning control pushbut-ton to its original position, pumping plunger 33 draws the ink towards ink-container 24 until clamping cone 38 seats against cylinder 23. The writing mechanism can then be returned to headpiece 39 of the penholder and rethreaded into body 10. Referring to FIG- URE 5, therein is shown a longitudinal section through the fountain pen of FIGURE 1 provided with flexible, transparent ink container 24 including its thin walled cylinder 23 reinforced by longitudinal ribs 52 connected to the other end of container 24 with the hollow and transparent pushbutton 37. Because of the reinforcement of said ink container cylinder 23 by said ribs 52, the container 24- is enabled to resist the force of spring 12 when the writing element is pushed into writing position. However, in order to fill the container 24, the headpiece 39 is removed and the cylinder 23 of container 2:; is simply and easily squeezed together as are the well known rubber ink sacs of the well known and ordinary fountain pens, thereby forcing the air in the ink container out into channels 14 and then drawing fresh ink into the ink container 24 upon withdrawal of the squeezing pressure therefrom.

I claim:

1. A reservoir fountain pen comprising, in combination, a barrel, a retract-able elongated writing ink needle positioned in one end of said barrel and extending through said barrel for a portion of its length, a first tubular member positioned about and spaced from said writing ink needle and extending for a portion of the length of said needle into the barrel, said first tubular member being open at the end thereof within the barrel, a second tubular member positioned about said first tubular member and extending for a distance beyond the open end of sad first tubular member, a hollow carrier member positioned in said barrel, an ink tube positioned in said carrier member, said second tubular member being fixedly positioned in said ink tube at the end thereof and opening into said ink tube, the inner diameter of said second tubular member being greater than the outer diameter of said first tubular member, a seal member fixedly positioned at the lower end of said barrel adjacent the opening thereof, said first and second tubular members and said writing ink needle extending through said seal member opening, said second tubular member being in contact with said seal member at the opening thereof, a plurality of spaced capillary discs positioned within said barrel at the portion adjacent to said seal member and extending for a length of said barrel smaller than the length of said first tubular member, each of said disc members having a central opening, each of said central openings being axially aligned with each other, said first and second tubular members extending through said openings, the second tubular member having an outer diameter less than the diameter of each of said openings, thereby forming axially aligned capillary spaces, a third tubular member positioned about said writing ink needle, said third tubular member extending from a position on said ink needle spaced from the open end of said first tubular member and extending for the remainder of the length of said needle, a second plurality of spaced capillary discs positioned within said ink tube away from the end of said third tubular member, each of said disc members having a central opening, each of said central openings being axially aligned with each other, said third tubular member extending through said openings, said third tubular member having an outer diameter smaller than the diameter of each of said openings and than the inner diameter of said second tubular member, a closure member for said ink tube adjacent to the topmost disc of said second plurality of discs, said closure having a central opening axially aligned with said disc openings and having substantially the same diameter as that of each opening, said third tubular member and said needle extending through said opening, a fourth tubular member positioned around and cont-acting said third tubular member and extending for the remaining length of said third tubular member, a counterweight positioned in said carrier having its bottom end spaced from said closure, said fourth and third tubular members and said needle extending into and being fixedly secured to said counterweight, a hollow cylinder attached to said carrier member at its end portion adjacent said counterweight, an ink container positioned within said hollow cylinder, and means for introducing ink into said ink container, said means being attached to said ink container.

2. A reservoir fountain pen comprising a retractable writing element including a barrel, a writing ink needle, a first tubular member positioned about said ink needle and spaced from said ink needle and extending for a portion of the length of said needle into the barrel, said tubular member being open at the end thereof within the barrel, a second tubular member positioned about and in contact with said first tubular member and extending beyond said open end thereof, and a third tubular member positioned about and in contact with said needle, the outer diameter of said third tubular member being smaller than the inner diameter of said second tubular member, said third tubular member having its point of beginning within said second tubular member and spaced from said open end of said first tubular member.

3. The fountain pen of claim 1 including means for urging said writing ink needle into writing position, said means being operatively associated with said means for introducing ink into said fountain pen, and means for retracting said needle from writing position and into said barrel, said latter means being operatively associated with said means for urging said needle into Writing position.

4. A reservoir fountain pen comprising, in combination, a barrel, a retractable elongated writing ink needle positioned in one end of said barrel and extending through said barrel for a portion of its length, a seal member fixedly positioned at the lower end of said barrel adjacent the opening thereof, said seal member having a substantially centrally positioned opening therethrough, a tubular structure positioned about said ink needle and extending through said seal member opening, said tubular structure being tapered upwardly in steps, a plurality of spaced capillary discs positioned within said barrel at the portion adjacent to said seal member and extending for a length of said barrel smaller than the length of a portion of said tubular structure, each of said disc members having a central opening, each of said central openings being axially aligned with each other, a hollow carrier member positioned in said barrel, an ink tube positioned in said carrier, the top portions of said tubular structure, upwardly tapered in steps, being fixedly positioned in the bottom portion of said ink tube, a tubular member positioned about said ink needle and extending into said tubular structure, upwardly tapered in steps, and being spaced from a portion of said tubular structure, upwardly tapered in steps, about said ink needle, thereby forming a valve stop, and a second plurality of spaced capillary discs positioned Within said ink tube about said tubular member, a counterweight positioned in said carrier, said tubular member and said ink needle extending thereinto and being fixedly secured thereto at the end opposite to its writing point.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 452,535 Winkler May 19, 1891 769,427 Beaumel Sept. 6, 1904 2,614,885 Roell Oct. 21, 1952 2,627,844 Johnson Feb. 10, 1953 2,800,881 Munson July 30, 1957 2,800,883 Sams July 30, 1957 2,805,645 Buschle Sept. 10, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,310 Great Britain June 22, 1900 

